The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1887-03-02

=
by night thou leadest him through child
hoods bliss,
To that loved home he pictures from afar.
| Lord Rosslyn.
THAT GRAHAM GIRL.
Well, it's all over, and I'm glad of it
never want TO camp out again as long
as livei Nor does Cara Murray. To
think what lovely time we had antici-
pated. with Tracy Lorng. the greatest
catch OF the year. along, and only dear,
fat. stupid Mrs Bartlett for our chape-
ron! There's no knowing what might
have happened had it not been for that
Graham girl.
She was governess to Mrs Bartlett's 8
two children, Tom and Tiny (the worst
! young ones that ever breathedD and
Mrs. Bartlett said that she couldn't pos
slbly think of trusting herself and pre-
clous little ones into The wilderness un-
less her dear, faithful Helen went along.
SO, of course, Helen Graham went, and
SO did Tracy Loring. Cara Murray, the
two Avery girls, and their collegian
cousins, Max and Will Collins.
| 1t was jolly fun at first, for during the
| journey on the cars Cara and | man
aged to secure Tracy ourselves. Then
we went by stage ten miles to lonely
| tarmhouse-a '.jumping-of place." as
| Tracy called it-where we were to oct
the guide and boat which were to take
us up Lake Moosetie-dear me. | can
never remember those horrid Indian
| namesi But never mind Tracy said
| that he didn't just like the looks of our
| guide, but Cara and l thought him real
romantic His
and he was kind of brigandish-looking.
you know, with flashing, black ewes,
| swarthy complexion, and long black
hair. And he wore sort of picturesque
Indian costume. He talked a good deal
to us girls, and rolled his ewes, and
made up jingling bits of poetry that
didn't sound bad. Tom Bartlett said
that he smelled of onions and poor
whisky, but Tom was always making
horrid speeches. However, this time he
wasn't so far out of the way, for, if
you'll believe it, we hadn't been camp
ing out week before that rascaliy
guide went off and left US in the midst
of bowling wilderness fifteen miles
from any living soul. Took our boat,
too! And we had to make our own
fires, and cook our own meals, and all
that-thIngs which we had paid him to
do Mrs. Bartlett is over 40, but she
doesn't know thing about housekeep-
ing, for her husbands sister, who lives
with her, sees to everything. As for the
Avery girls, they never enter kitchen,
nor do Cara and |. Tracy Loring knew
more than we did, for he could make
delicious coffee as well as broil fish 1t
was late in the afternoon, with cold
rain and wind storm coming on, so that
it wouldn't have been prudent for the
gentlemen to undertake the long tramp
through the woods back to the Giles
farmhouse. Cara and | felt wretched-
". In the first place. we were conscious
of looking drabbled and shabby-tnere'
nothing like that to lower woman's
spirits. You see, we had no idea of
what wild, crazy place the woods
were, and so we had worn dainty suits,
whose ruffies and puffs had soon became
crushed and crumpled. The Averys
were in the same fix. As for that Gra-
ham girl, she wore plain, navy-blue
flannel gown, with short skirt and
blouse waist We had all made fun of
her behind her back, but after a day or
two we were forced to acknowledge that
she looked far more dainty and tidy
than ourselves. Anyhow, Tracy Lor-
ing seemed to think her attractive, for,
| from the very first, he treated her as an
equal with Care and me. and she laugh
ed and talked as freely as he did. She
never seemed to mind the least hint,
not even when one day Cara threw out
something about working-people know
ing their place At first, though, she
drew herself up rather stately (she has
a fine figureD and looked Cara straight
| in the eyes as if to find out what she
meant, then a smile began dimpling
the corners of her mouth, and she sang
out mischieyously:
When Adam delved and Eve span,
Who then was the gentleman?
But to go back to the time the guide
left US. We had to have supper, of
course. but what and how?
1--we got some fish. said Tracy; land
/ see that Max has picked some black
| berries. | can make the coffee, but the
rest of the culinary affairs I'll have to
| leave in the hands of you ladies. -
| 20, my goodness graciousr" groaned
| Mrs. Bartlett, 81 never cooked meal in
| all my life!''
We all echoed her words, except Helen
Graham. who jumped up briskly. say
ing: IN try TO fix something. though
| it won't be very elaborate, for fear our
resources are limited. Pray. Mr.. Lor-
ing, what does our larder contain?"
..Humph! Mostly canned goods,
/ believe. There are some loaves of
bread. but" with sniff, ''they look
kind of queer, Miss Graham-they have
pale, whity-green fuzz on the crust!
It's very esthetic-looking, to be sure.
butt doesn't smell good!'
Heat and moisture have made il
mold Bread molds easily in August
weather, and this is over week old.
But can cut off the crust and toast the
| inside"
..That'n be famous. l am SO hungry
/ could eat my boots almost! 1t rejoices
my soul to see a genuinely capable wo-
| man-one with .knack'i And now,
Mime. Cook, I'm at your service''-with
low bow. That Graham girl didn't
seem bit impressed-she only giggled,
and said, coolly. You may clean the
fish. if you want to-" and Tracy Loring.
the heir of one of the richest and most
aristocratic families, donned e big towel
for an apron and went out to obey her
commands.
Then how she few around. rather
| liked to watch her. She had such q
deft. handy way of doing things Both
| Cara and wished that our mothers had
taught us something besides fancy
| things.
She made rousing fire in the fire.
| place-you see. we had taken up our
| quarters in log-cabin that, years be-
| fore, had been occupied BY hermit
trapper. 1t was rough affair, but Just
| then we were very thankful for it, con-
sidering the rain outside. It had turn
ed off SO chilly. too. that the FIRE felt
| very comfortable, and what with the
light, warmth. and good supper, we
had very pleasant time. The supper
was especially nice Helen had opened
couple of cans of chicken; this she
warmed in the saucepan, and poured it
over the toast gravy aud all. Then she
| wrapped potatoes in leaves and roasted
them in the hot ashes; and these, with
the fish. coffee, and other things, made
meal fit for anybody. The gentlemen
praised it up. at any rate. and they
paid that Graham girl so many compli-
| ments that she actually blushed II
made her look rather pretty, too. and
the freight falling on her brown hair
gave It golden sheen that we women
couldn't help envying
Nov. whats to Be done?n said